Ankara, Cappadocia Tour

Tur Programı Tur Programı Yazdır

DAY 1: ANKARA
Meeting at Ankara Esenboğa Airport. We start our Ankara tour. First, we will visit Anatolian Civilization Museum and Ankara Castle, then proceed to hotel. Dinner and accommodation at Ankara.
Anatolian Civilizations Museum : One of the top-rated museums in the world with its unique collections and is the winner the “Museum of the year in Europe” in 1997, are exhibited in chronologically separated sections. The upper hall area holds Palaeolithic Age, Chalcolithic Age, Old Bronze Age, Assyrian Trade Colonies Age, The Old Hittite and Hittite Imperial Age, Phrygian Kingdom, Late Hittite Kingdom, Urartian Kingdom sections, and the lower hall holds Ankara; Down the Ages and Classical Periods sections. The Anatolian Civilizations Museum, which has been the home of the original works of Anatolian lands since the Paleolithic age, consists of two historical buildings. These buildings are the Ottoman Period buildings; Mahmutpaşa Covered Bazaar and Kurşunlu Inn. Having been renovated in 2014, this museum allows you to travel through history via virtual tours, animations and replicas of T-shaped stone pillars and other replicas of Göbeklitepe.
DAY 2 : ANKARA –CAPPADOCIA
After breakfast we will visit Anıtkabir, the mausoleum of the founder of Turkish Republic, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk. At the afternoon we will transfer to Cappodocia via Salt Lake. Dinner and accommodation at Cappadocia.
The Mausoleum of Atatürk : Anıtkabir, situated on a hill called Rasattepe behind the Maltepe area of Ankara, covers 700.000 square metres of land and includes a Peace Park, which contains plants from all parts of Turkey and the world. It took nine years to complete the mausoleum. On November 10 th, 1953, fifteen years after Atatürk's death, his casket was taken from the Ethnographical Museum with great ceremony and was laid to final rest in its assigned place in Anıtkabir. The Mausoleum is rectangular and is surrounded by columns on all four sides. On the front of the Mausoleum to the left the Atatürk's speech to the Turkish Youth is inscribed. To the right his speech on the occasion of the 10 th anniversary of the Rupublic is presented.
Salt Lake : It is located about 120 kilometers south of Ankara. With its 1500 square kilometers is the second largest lake in Turkey but in summer the surface is often reduced to about one thousan square kilometers. Generally this amazing salt lake is 80 kilometers long by 48 wide, with a depth of 1.2 meters at present, as it is estimated that before it must be much deeper. Today, the surface is covered by blocks of salt up to 20 inches thick.
Cappadocia : Located on the central Anatolia plateau within a volcanic landscape sculpted by erosion to form a succession of mountain ridges, valleys and pinnacles known as “fairy chimneys” or hoodoos, Göreme National Park and the Rock Sites of Cappadocia cover the region between the cities of Nevşehir, Ürgüp and Avanos, the sites of Karain, Karlık, Yeşilöz, Soğanlı and the subterranean cities of Kaymaklı and Derinkuyu. The area is bounded on the south and east by ranges of extinct volcanoes with Erciyes Dağ (3916 m) at one end and Hasan Dağ (3253 m) at the other. The density of its rock-hewn cells, churches, troglodyte villages and subterranean cities within the rock formations make it one of the world's most striking and largest cave-dwelling complexes. Though interesting from a geological and ethnological point of view, the incomparable beauty of the decor of the Christian sanctuaries makes Cappadocia one of the leading examples of the post-iconoclastic Byzantine art period.
DAY 3 : CAPPADOCIA
Today we will visit Goreme Open Air Museum, Uchisar Pigeon Valley and see pottery making at Avanos. We will also enjoy sunset at Kizilcukur Valley. Dinner and accommodation at Cappadocia.
Goreme Open Air Museum : In the 2nd century AD there were ascetic monks who had adopted seclusion alone in the Cappadocia region, especially around Göreme. Although they wereindependent of monasteries and churches, they were an important social community. What made Cappadocia the centre of religious thought and life in the 3rd century was the presence of clergy with powerful character. In the following century, the region was known as the hometown of the three great clergy. These were the Bishop of Kaisareia, Basileios, his brother Gregorios of Nyssagia and Gregorios of Nazianus. Basileios, known as the ‘Great’, returned to his hometown, Kaisareia, the headquarters of the Cappadocia region, to devote himself to the monastic life. He was also effective in spreading the monastery life collectively. A monastic life was present intensively in Göreme from 4th century AD to 13th century. There are churches, chapels, cafeterias and seating areas in almost every rock block. Today’s Göreme Open Air Museum is the place where this education system was launched. The open air museum was opened to visitors in 1967.
Uchisar Pigeon Valley : Uchisar is famous with its wonderfull panoramic views expecially pigeon houses on the valley. Guvercinlik Vadisi (Pigeon Valley) earned its name from the countless man made Pigeon Houses that have been carved into the soft volcanic rock. Since ancient times Pigeons have been used in the Cappadocia region for food and fertiliser for the infertile soil.
Avanos : Set on the banks of the Kızılırmak (Red River), Avanos is about 8 kilometers from Cappadocia’s historical center of Göreme. The town of Avanos it is also the tradition of pottery making in the ateliers of craftsmen that attracts visitors. The Red River, which also happens to be one of Turkey’s longest rivers, has supplied the many generations of craftsmen with the red clay used to create their iconic art. Pottery has been produced in this region as far back as around 2000 BC, the time of the Hittites.
Kizilcukur Valley : It is located on the border of Ürgüp district and one of the most famous destinations of Cappadocia. This place offers its guests a Kızılçukur Valley is one of the most important places to visit in Cappadocia region. The biggest reason is the unique panoramic view expesially at sunset.
DAY 4 : CAPPADOCIA
Today we will visit Kaymakli Underground City. After lunch we’ll transfer to Ankara, Esenboğa airport. End of services.
Kaymaklı Underground City : The city is situated 15km to Nevşehir, in the Kaymaklı province. It was built during the 9th - 10th centuries during the period of the spreading of christianity as a city of defence and hiding sites. The 8 floors of this underground city are built around a ventilation stack.
The ceiling height of rooms on each floor, surrounding a ball, is 2m. the chapels are larger than the rooms and the ceilings are higher.

INCLUDING SERVICES:
- 3 days accomodation at 4* hotels
- 3 breakfast, lunch and dinner
- English speaking tour guide during all the tour
- All transfers, parking, road tolls writen in the programme
- 2 bottles of water per person, per day
- Travel insurance

EXCLUDING SERVICES:
- International flight tickets
- First day breakfast and lunch
- Last day lunch and dinner
- Tipping to guide, driver, hotels and restaurants
- Any soft or alcohol drinks at restaurants and hotels